Some ruling party MNAs have been occupying two accommodations; nine bureaucrats occupy luxurious suites.
The misuse of government accommodations by former and incumbent members of parliament echoed in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Speaking on a point of order, Hamidul Haq, of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), pointed out that not only former but also some incumbent MPs were misusing government accommodations at the Minister’s Enclave, Parliament Lodges and MNAs Hostel.
He pointed out that despite being a resident of Islamabad, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a legislator of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has been occupying a suite at the Parliament Lodges.
He also said that a PML-N junior minister, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, is occupying two suites.
On that, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq directed his deputy to look into the matter and also lectured MPs not to misuse accommodation facilities.
Interestingly, the legislators and the Speaker were not aware of the fact that the accommodation facility was being misused not only by the MPs but also by some government officials, who had illegally been occupying suites meant for parliamentarians.
It has been learnt reliably that around nine bureaucrats have obtained stay orders from different courts to prolong their occupation in luxurious suites at the Government Hostel, in response to vacation notices issued to them by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
A source at the Government Hostel, commonly known as MNAs Hostel, said that nine bureaucrats including three CDA officers, one interior ministry and five from different federal ministries have obtained stay orders.
Following vacation notices, the legislators, who lost seats in the 2013 general elections, surrendered the facility, but the government officers moved the courts and got stay order.
Out of the total 36 suites at the hostel, 11 are under the occupation of bureaucrats. The occupants had been asked to vacate the suites, but only two reluctantly acquiesced to the notices.
Government officers are not entitled to such facilities at the hostel.
“Some time ago there was no concept of family suites at the hostel, as it only consisted of a number of single rooms and at that time there was a reserved quota for government officers at the hostel,” an official at the hostel maintained.
He said that keeping in view the shortage of accommodation facilities for MPs, single rooms at the hostel were demolished and family suites were constructed. “And with the construction of family suites, the quota for government officers was also abolished,” he added.
CDA Member Engineering, Sanaullah Aman, told The Express Tribune that in the light of directives of the Speaker, the authority would expedite its campaign to get the suites vacated from the ‘unauthorised’ occupants.
He said that two of the three officers, who had been occupying suites at the hostel, have left the authority and are now serving in other departments.
“The authority has been pursuing these cases in courts,” Aman added.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2013.
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What a joke, to think of the fact that people who actually deserve these facilities are being denied of their right. The courts who gave them stay order should also be investigated. Throw these losers back to where they came from.